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Boxing Boris visits the Academy
Fighting crime means using "every weapon at your disposal" according to Boris Johnson, who visited a Tottenham boxing club last week.
The London mayoral candidate for the Conservative Party, who has identified cutting crime as his number one priority, visited the London Boxing Academy on Tuesday to find out about its work with young people.
Many of those who use the centre have previously been involved with criminal activity and are helped back onto the right track through sporting activity.
Based in Tottenham Community Sports Centre, in High Road, the program was set up in 2006 by boxing veterans Chris Hall and Simon Marcus.
The academy was initially founded as a boxing and weight training facility in 2000 for amateur and professional boxers.
But after working successfully with troubled young people, it was asked by the Haringey Pupil Support Centre to take on students who had been, or were at risk of being, excluded from school.
Now the project offers lessons to 24 pupils in subjects such as mathematics and English, as well as computing, mechanics and art. All students combine their studies with sports training.
Up to £10,000 is spent on each pupil and all of the academy's graduates go on to further education or employment.
Chris Hall, the club founder, said: "There is a tradition of boxing coaches acting as mentors to young people.
"The areas these young men live in are breeding grounds for unhappiness and anger. Boxing gives them an outlet for their frustrations and teaches discipline.
"I don't care what the Government says, mainstream schools are too big, some children simply get lost in them. Here, we teach social skills as well as sports and regular education."
If elected, Mr Johnson has said he will get tough with young Londoners who break the law.
But he believes putting more money into the voluntary sector will also help curb crime among young people.
The Henley MP vowed to introduce a Mayor's fund which would provide long-term financial support to organisations like the boxing academy, which has struggled to acquire the funding it needs.
He said: "Schemes like this are vital to provide the discipline, excitement and emotional maturity that so many of our children are lacking.
"Young people come here, get an education get fantastically fit andget some much-needed direction.
"The London Boxing Academy is a fantastic institution that does amazing good for the community and all the young people who go there.
"The guys running the gym are able to communicate with these kids and to motivate them to use their energies in all the right ways."
8:25am Monday 28th April 2008
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